Transportinfo.org.uk - today's transport news in the uk, hand picked for you each morning

Tuesday, 15 July 2025

BBC News

• Full reopening of storm-damaged port delayed againStena Line delays the full reopening of Holyhead port until the end of the week due to weather.
• Boeing fuel switches safe, regulator says after Air India crashA preliminary investigation found the switches had been turned off in June's fatal Air India crash.
• Drivers offered up to £3,750 discount to buy electric carsGovernment will subsidise prices cuts to encourage a shift away from petrol and diesel.

Financial Times

• Wizz Air shelves Abu Dhabi hub plans to focus on central and eastern EuropeLow-cost carrier blames geopolitical conflicts in Middle East, failure to secure flight routes and persistent engine issues
• ‘Murky’ Air India crash report deepens uncertainty for owner TataPreliminary findings spark debate over actions of pilots ahead of loss of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that killed 260 people

The Telegraph

• Labour to reintroduce grants for electric cars [subscription]Labour will give out new grants for electric cars after a previous scheme was scrapped three years ago, the Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed.

Welsh Government

• Written Statement: New Chair to the Board of Transport for Wales: appointment of Vernon EverittFollowing the publication of the CCEI Committee's report on their pre-appointment hearing with Vernon Everitt, my preferred candidate for the new Chair of TfW, I have decided to appoint Mr Everitt to the role.

Network Rail

• Vital rail upgrades in August between Ipswich and HalesworthPassengers travelling between Ipswich and Halesworth are advised to check before they travel, as essential railway works will affect train services across three weekends in August.

Birmingham Mail

• Cross City Line shutdown in Birmingham goes ahead despite HS2 works it was there for being postponedThe northern section of the Cross City Line from Birmingham New Street Station to Lichfield Trent Valley is set to be closed for a week despite the original purpose of the closure - HS2 works - being postponed to a future date

Birmingham Post

• Aviation textile company opens larger production facility in SomersetThe company has long-standing relationships with Boeing Defence UK and Leonardo
• Revised plans for bridge from Bristol Arena to Brabazon submitted by YTLThe developers have said the bridge will help manage traffic flows on the arena's event days

Bristol Live

• Millions needed for decades-long project to stop Bristol roads collapsing into riverThe council will call on the government to help come up with the cash to repair the river walls
• Bristol Airport car park most expensive outside LondonOnly two were more expensive

Nation. Cymru

• Councillors asked to approve £1.4 million of funding for train station revampRedevelopment plans for a railway station in southeast Wales could require up to £1.4 million of funding which councillors will be asked to approve this week.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Leaked report shows A1 dualling in Northumberland was cancelled in 2021 and kept from publicThe decision was not to dual the road between Morpeth and Ellingham has been branded as poor value for money

Sheffield Star

• Government is treating Sheffield like 'second class city' by pausing railway electrification, says councillorA councillor says Sheffield is being treated like a 'second class city' after plans to upgrade its railway lines to electric were paused 'yet again' by the Government.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Major £65m bus and cycle scheme plan set for key Black Country routeA major scheme to introduce a raft of walking, cycling and bus lane upgrades on a key route through the Black Country is set to move a step closer.

Other Regional Press

• Railway crossing where Amazon driver died had history of near missesA high-risk crossing where a delivery driver was killed had a history of near misses, KentOnline can reveal.
• Bournemouth Airport named second most expensive for parkingThis would mean spending just £29 on parking for a week, saving 76 per cent compared to the official car park.
• Nottinghamshire County Council's Reform administration committed to protecting and enhancing bus services but won't write to regional mayor asking for £2 fare cap at Conservatives' requestA motion seeking to see further investment in rural bus services and the return of £2 fares failed to gain support.
• Beaulieu station: Council leader gives updates on when new £160m Chelmsford railway station will openThe station has been built in 'super fast time', the county council leader said
• Isle of Wight's transport strategy aims for a sustainable future by 2040A 15-year vision for Island transport will go out for public consultation in the autumn, Isle of Wight councillors have agreed.
• A walk down Newport Road ahead of 'transport corridor' conversionA half-mile stretch of road in Middlesbrough is to undergo more than £3m worth of improvements.
• Plans for a new rail service covering seven days a week between Hereford and LondonFirstGroup plc has submitted the first phase of an application for a new open access rail service between Hereford and London to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

Rail Magazine

• Open access operators mulling next moves after West Coast Main Line refusalFirms behind rejected open access plans for the West Coast Main Line are working out their next moves after being rejected by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

Rail UK

• Industry bodies urge action on Midland Main Line electrification 'pause'The Rail Forum (RF) and the Railway Industry Association (RIA) have today (14 July) written a joint letter to Rail Minister Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE, responding to the Government's decision announced last week to 'pause' the Midland Main Line electrification upgrade.

Railway Gazette

• Spencer Group completes three-year depot expansion projectUK: Spencer Group has completed a three-year project for West Midlands Trains to extend and improve facilities at Tyseley depot in Birmingham.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Transport Design Forum puts inclusivity at the heart of bus designLast month, Altro's Transport Design Forum explored how changes in vehicle design could make buses more inclusive and appealing to a wider demographic
• Bee Network: The now and the future of bus in Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester Transport Commissioner Vernon Everitt considers the Bee Network so far
• A city's award-winning approach to Enhanced Partnership for busPortsmouth's Head of Passenger Transport was recognised at the Bus Centre of Excellence Awards in June.
• Why bus operators need to embrace community bus partnershipsIn the fight to keep services afloat, operators should not underestimate the part that community bus partnerships can play. We look at the work of Stagecoach East and one particular band of committed volunteers
• Wider government policy should be seen alongside coach and busIt has been a big month for policy announcements. I am tempted to use the analogy about buses for government strategies: You wait a long time for one, and then two or more come along at once but of course, this is an outdated analogy in terms of buses, so having mentioned it, I will now distance myself for fear of alienating potential friends in the bus industry!
• £3.2 million public transport boost for Nottingham as EMCCA confirms fundingNottingham is set to receive over £3 million in external funding for its public transport next year, as part of a package backed by the newly established East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) and the Department for Transport.

Other News Sources

• First Bus launches shared EV charging initiativeOperator First Bus has launched First Charge, the new identity for its growing, shared EV charging initiative.
• Transport for London is facing legal action over licence delays for private hire driversDPG are instructed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents private hire drivers on apps such as Uber and Bolt, to challenge the systemic and ongoing delays in TfL's licensing system for private hire drivers.
• UK Government commits further £150m to smart transport pathfinderTHE UK Government has announced a further £150million in funding to help grow the nation's Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) industry.

News from Europe

• Irish Rail spent over €1.35 million in 2024 cleaning up graffitiIrish Rail spent more than €1.35 million last year cleaning up graffiti and on the repair of vandalised trains.
• Siemens Mobility doubles production capacity at Munich Allach plantGermany: The company has completed a €250 mln expansion project which was underway since 2023, increasing the facility's footprint from 47,000 to 100,000 m and workforce from 1,600 to 2,000 employees. By 2028, the site is expected to employ 2,500 personnel.
• T&E report urges EU to prioritise essential rail upgrades over megaprojectsJust seven rail megaprojects received more than €6.6bn or 31% of the European Union's (EU) Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) transport budget between 2021 and 2023, while 84 critical rail infrastructure upgrades shared just 27%, according to a new report by Transport & Environment (T&E).